There Will Be Blood
After seeing There Will Be Blood I started thinking why it was that while I enjoyed the film, I didn't like it nearly as much as other movies. I realized that while the film-making was impeccable, the story just didn't inspire the kind of emotion or curiosity that other films have for me. As a director Paul Thomas Anderson is incredible. The production value and cinematography of There Will Be Blood are some of the best I have ever seen. The realism of the oil drilling must be seen to be believed.
In many films, the protagonist isn't necessarily likable, but they at least have some redeemable qualities. Daniel Day-Lewis' character (Plainview) is a single minded, obsessive, overbearing man who must win at all costs. His primary opponent is Paul Dano's shrill, backhanded minister. Neither of these men are likable in any way. No redeemable qualities emerge about either of them. This is a strange way to tell a story. If the audience can never identify in any way with the characters, they can never be drawn into the plot. PTA seems more interested in presenting a challenging piece of art than a thrilling, human tale. When compared with the magnificent No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood contains very few genuine moments between people. Every aspect of the film has been twisted to fit Plainview's insanity and thus has no room for human interaction.
Despite this criticism, I did like this movie very much. Day-Lewis is mesmerizing as Plainview, delivering a performance nearly as good as his portrayal of Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York. Paul Dano holds his own and I particularly liked the performances in their final confrontation at the end of the film. This movie is worth watching just for the camera work and the performances, if not for the plot. 4/5
Comments
Posted by: bob
Posted on: February 26, 2008 08:33 AM
I think the soundtrack played a factor in this. I disliked the industrial crunching sounds that made up the background music.